11.02.17: For good measure

FOR ALL MY 28 YEARSas a consultant, I have been suggesting, recommending, arguing, pleading and cajoling designers to use picas and points as their standard of measure.

Yes, I understand that ads are always measured in inches. And that’s OK.

But type is measured in points. Headline sizes are expressed in points. And news design and typography are better when measured and expressed in points.

Measuring in inches is problematic because inches are divided in multiples of four, eight, sixteen, etc. For page design, a quarter inch between items is too much, but an eighth of an inch is too little.

What falls between four and eight? Six. And a pica is a sixth of an inch. Perfect.

Want help starting to learn picas vs. inches? Cut out the chart above, tape it on or near your monitor. And slowly memorize it.